


You Are Loved

by Missy



Category: The Simpsons
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Drunken Kissing, Drunken Shenanigans, F/F, Falling In Love, Getting Back Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Humor, Roommates, Writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:59:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8816086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: Lisa's college roommate is a surprisingly familiar face, and over the course of a year they both slowly begin to wonder if there's something more lying between them than just old memories.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lah_mrh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lah_mrh/gifts).



> Hope you have the best Yuletide!!

_Late Summer_

“I don’t know why I brought my Proust with me,” Lisa muttered to her empty dorm room as she carefully placed her box of books onto her clean but very spare-looking bed. “Surely the library will have all of the books I’ll ever need.” But she smiled and petted the spine of her beloved copy of Black Beauty before turning toward her parents.

Homer was hauling an oversized box of records into the room while her mother tried to drag along a box of plastic hangars. Lisa let out a sound of alarm and helped him shoulder the burden into her room, patting his back when it landed with a thud right next to her bed. “Good work, Dad.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” He plopped down on her bed and lay sprawled on his back. “I can sleep here until your roommate comes, right?”

“I don’t see why you can’t…” she trailed off at his sudden snore and saw he’d fallen asleep sitting up. Marge gave her a rueful smile. 

“At least we can talk about some things in private!”

“Are you sure dad can’t hear us?” Lisa asked. “I thought he was still sleep-talking.”

“I see all,” Homer said beside them.

“Oh sweetie, your father can’t dream and listen at the same time,” Marge said. “Now, be sure to shower once a week and wash. And change your underwear every day! Don’t study too hard! And If you ever run out of food money call me and I’ll send along a little of my commission money – don’t go hungry!”

Lisa blushed – Marge worked hard for her money, was proud of her career as an artist and she hated the notion of taking anything extravagant from her. From Lisa's lips came, “Mom, there are over thirty vegetarian options on campus! I’m sure I won’t starve.”

“I know. I just worry about you being alone for so long. If you can’t find anything, call, I’ll email you coupons. And if you ever get lonely, please call us!”

“Mom, I know how to take care of myself,” Lisa groaned. 

“All right. Don’t be a gloom grumpus!” Marge said. “I’m going to go take your father down to the commissary for a little bit – I don’t want to be in the way when your roommate comes after all. You’re a responsible, mature adult, after all.” Marge bent close to Homer’s ear and whispered, “Chili is sixty percent off downstairs.”

Homer sprung up in Lisa’s bed, gasping softly. “Marge! No time to waste – chili is 60 percent off downstairs!”

Lisa shook her head as her parents disappeared, leaving her to prepare for the appearance of her roommate.

She wasn’t left in suspense long. Not ten minutes after Homer and Marge disappeared a brunette with thickly-rimmed glasses suddenly showed up in the doorway with a small suitcase. “I’m looking for floor five, room sixteen,” she said. And then her eyes widened as she noticed Lisa sitting on the bed. “Oh, my.”

Lisa automatically surged to her feet in surprise. This was one familiar face she’d never imagined that she’d ever get to see again. “Juliet Hobbes!”

“I’ll speak to the advisers,” Juliet said quickly. “I don’t want to be in your way…”

“You wouldn’t be in my way,” Lisa said. “How have you been?”

“Fine,” Juliet said. She stiffly hauled her bright blue valise onto the opposing the bed. Lisa was not surprised that someone who lived so thoroughly in her own mind traveled so lightly. “Do you know where the library is?”

“Doctor Pee Wee Herman Building, third floor. Be careful of the stairway, the fifth step is kind of loose… “ Lisa trailed off as Juliet raced away. “Huh.” And she was left alone with her confused thoughts.

*** 

It took Juliet three weeks to speak to Lisa after a long period of coming and going and avoiding each other. “Have you listened to the latest Josh Groban album?”

Lisa glanced up from her laptop and worried her bottom lip thoughtfully. “I’m afraid my love for him hasn’t been the same since he released that calypso album.”

Juliet shuddered. “My God, that thing was ghastly. I love that man’s work, but there are only so many times I can listen to ‘The Man Is Smart, the Woman is Smarter.”

“Remember his reggae album?” Lisa replied. 

“His cover of Three Little Birds was simply…” Juliet began.

“For the birds!” They finished together, and broke down laughing together.

Lisa chuckled. “Y’know, Juliet, my dad’s always said that the best bonding tool in the world is mutual loathing.”

“Your father,” Juliet said, “is a very wise man.”

Lisa had to agree with the girl. Just as she did so many years ago when they were younger.

*** 

_Fall_

They were lying on their backs in an open field, watching the homecoming game fireworks go off. “Do you ever wish we hadn’t outgrown Equalia?” Juliet asked.

Lisa shook her head. “Some part of me will always be a queen. But the real world? Now that holds charms that no fantasy can compare to.”

As fireworks burst over their heads, cascading sparks all around Lisa’s face and shadowing her hair, Juliet had to agree with her assessment. 

*** 

_Late Fall_

“I honestly don’t know why I bother,” Juliet complained, crumbling up her latest rejection letter. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Lisa said. “You happen to be a rare genius. It’ll take the world awhile to catch up – but once it does they’ll be the one knocking at your door.”

“Do you honestly think I’m a genius?”

Lisa glanced at Juliet over the top of her well-worn London. “Do you think I’d lie?”

Juliet cracked a smile, and pulled out her laptop. “Perhaps the queens of Equalia need to slay a grander beast this time…”

*** 

_Winter_

Lisa didn’t know how she managed to mess things up. One moment they were spinning around together at a bar, celebrating Juliet’s children’s picture book finally selling (with suggestions and an assist from Marge, who had offered to illustrate everything if the concept sold). It was Lisa’s first time drinking anything harder than a single beer, and she became quite instantly tipsy. Out of nowhere, she had pecked Juliet on the lips. The shame of embarrassment (who kisses somebody out of the blue like that?! Did Juliet think she was weird and rude now?!) sent Lisa running through the icy snow blanketing the quad to the school’s mascot – a very large golden calf named Dunny.

Lisa leaned against the animal’s strong back and bowed her head. “You understand me, Dunny,” she said. “You’re a good inanimate object! Yes you are!”

To her horror, her patting dislodged the statue’s head, causing it to roll down the cement steps of the monument. "No, Dunny! Come back!" She chased his head down a rolling slope, until she collided with a body on the sidewalk, the calf's head smacking into the sprawled person’s nose.

The very familiar person.

“Lisa?!” Juliet’s complaint was very mild and very tired, but to Lisa it sounded like a powerful rebuke. 

“Oh Juliet! I’m so sorry I messed everything up!! I didn’t mean to kiss you without asking. It was so medieval of me!”

Juliet picked up the calf’s head and helped Lisa to her feet. “Oh tosh. If you hadn’t kissed me I would’ve kissed you. Now let’s go home.”

Lisa mumbled and leaned into Juliet’s shoulder. The slightly taller girl was surprisingly strong, and she used the brightness of the night to navigate them back.

Juliet took a good long look at the world around them.

Her fingertips slipped into Lisa’s strong grip as they walked toward the general relative safety of campus. The golden calf’s head would be returned to its rightful place in the morning but right now all she needed was a strong cup of tea and and to keep an ear wide open for Lisa’s story. One never knew what might happen next in America – and that was a statement somehow doubly true for romance. 

The real world did indeed hold its own charms.


End file.
